Brassiere



M. A. PECK BRASSIERE May 12, 1953 Filed April 21 1951 2 S'heets sheet l INVENTOR. MILDRED A. PEC K AT T O RNEY May 12, 1953 M. Ar PECK 2537 851 BRASSIERE Filed April 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I INVENTOR. M LDR ED A. PECK AT TOR NEY Patented May 12, l953 z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I r Q 22,637,851 .BRASSIERE a Mildred A. Peek, Newport, Oreg. Application April 21, 1951, Serial No. 222,224

This invention relates to improvements in brassieres and especially provides a comfortable garment when one or both breasts have been removed as incase of a mastectomy operation.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce a garment that maintains the relationships of natural and artificial breast contours, both as to spacing, laterally, that is apart, and in the horizontal relationships to the general end that dress over the brassiere will be equal in appearance to the naturalone before the surgery and to do these things with complete comfort to the wearer, whether she is ofthe vigorous type or otherwise. 7

The invention, in its best form; presupposes that ,one natural breast remains, provides smooth fabric cup coverfor, it, and being tailored to accurate measurement of the wearer, supports a suitable sponge rubber pad over the site of the surgery in proper spaced relationship to the remaining natural breast, which serves as an anchor for the artificial breast, without discomfort to the wearer, there being a breast band that goes around the body at breast level, with suitable shoulder supports therefor.

A still further object is to make the garment so that the pads, usually of sponge rubber or the like, are securely held in the structure of the garment without sewing or other attaching means and can be quickly removed for cleansing when required.

Other objects will be at once apparent to those familiar with such garments and are more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Drawings accompany and form a part of this specification, in which- Fig. 1 is a front view of my invention, showing two fabric cups, with one cup (the false side) unattached to the band, hereinafter described;

Fig. 2 is a view of the structure of Fig. 1 from the reverse direction;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View of the left hand fabric cup in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3; meaning the one on the left hand side of a wearer, detached from the band or other supporting structure;

Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4, at reduced scale, taken on the plane 5--5, of Fig. 4, with the addition of a sponge rubber pad necessary to make desired use of the fabric cups shown in this figure; and

Fig. 6 is a pattern for cutting the fabric cups prior to fashioning them.

Explaining the drawings in greater detail:

3 Claims. (0112-542) l Numeral I rer'iresents a band member or base structure 'fo'r 'supporting the fabric cups by cooperation of the shoulder straps 2.

Numeral 3 represents the fabric cup that covers a remaining normal breast (which of course may be on either the right hand side of a wearer as shown, or on the left, as required) and numeral 4 indicates the fabric cup opposite or on the left side of a wearer. The right hand cup 3 is shown sewed or made integral with the band member l, whi1e 'the other cup'is'shown detachable by snap fasteners such as 5. The cup 4, holding pad it, may-be fastened rigidlyin' place as by sewing if desired, butthe breast band i will in all cases passunder it, where required to support a rubber in a hammock or-the like pad, ll], properly held as" hereinafter described. I

The breast band member I is best made in two pieces with elastic insertions if preferred, with provision for detachably securing it around a wearers body, breast high.

In order to properly perform its allotted function, the cup 3 is inserted into the band and sewed to the ends of the band I as shown at 3' and 3". It will be at once seen that with the cup 3 over the remaining natural breast and the band I being taken around the wearers body, supported at proper height, the natural breast serves as a location means for the artificial breast so that it cannot shift, relative to the natural one. The cup 3 will be tailored carefully to fit, the darts will have smoothly felled inner seams and it will otherwise be made as comfortable as a good fit can make it as the success of the garment is largely dependent on this class of workmanship.

A novel feature of my new brassiere is found in the fabric cups which by the darts are actually cupped as shown in the plan View, Fig. 3, supple mented by the hammock, preferably on the outside of the garment on the cup that does not carry a pad. Folded material in the hammock "i, also gives more support than a single piece of material would, and the open top allows better adjustment to the breast and yet gives support.

Cup 4 is on the outside of that part of the breast band I that passes squarely over the spot occupied by the former breast that was removed, and cup l is properly centered over that exact spot if the garment is skillfully made. The hammock flap in this fabric cup is turned inwardly and serves as a support for the rubber pad It], supplemented by that part of the band I that passes over the place of the surgery. The rubber pad will be a neat fit in the fabric cup i and held snugly in place by the flap portion of the hammock flap,

3 that in this case is supplemented by that part of the breast band I that lies over and against the locus of the surgery.

The structure just descrlbed is regarded as the novel feature, or combination of features that are productive of the advanced results and satisfy the objects as stated supra.

I have found that this hammock 1 serves its purpose better when one end is sewed into the la d rt; B where it not y serves as, stat d, but completes the rounding up of the cups 9 and- 4, initiated by darts such as 6, whether on the inside or outside of the garment. Another dart 9 is shown at the left or top side of the pattern, Fig, 6, and on other Figures 1, 2 and 3. The darts fix the shape of the fabric cups, which shape should be tailored to measure of the wearer; and the hammock supporting the remaining natural breast, being of proper length and contour, cars. ries out a chief purpose of the invention, comfort, pract ca y pro eans shitting cit-t e alse pad; nd ving qual xt n l. appearanc as. de: scribed.

Having descri edm new brassi rs in.

p ts man e r quired by sea 488 Revised stab utes. what I laim as new and desire to by, Letters, Patent, is:

1.. A brassiere for sing e remain ng breast mastectomy operates fo sup ortin 41 anti ficia-l b e c prising a clnralaart breast band. should r ports th eion a. ia r o, b east our. f ioned. to ea ly fit a remaining natural. r st sa d re st one made integral w h. said ba d y ec r ng p osi diam tra boundaries her i between parts. of; the band, crochet at flashed. n p ced. rel t on; to said our. oaths outs, side of said breast band said, wkfircgmpriaing a hammock portion on the inside thereof adapted to receive and carry an artificial breast pad of rubber or the like, maintained in predetermined position with said natural breast.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 and including a hammock member on the lower outside of said breast cup to support the lower boundary thereof.

3. A brassire for correcting appearance follo ing a ing e maste tomy surg ry, comprisin a plural part body encircling band, shoulder suspension means to hold the band breast high, a breast cup fitted to a remaining natural breast, interposed between two parts of said band by attachment to opposite rims of said cup and forming a part of the body encircling band, a pocket i0 holding an artificial breast securely attached to the outside surface of said belt and spaced thereon to accurately cover the situs of said surgery, said pocket comprising an open ton structure. so tormed as to firmly hold a suitable, rubbery rep ica of a d remainina breast when. the band is in wearing p on- MILDRED A. PECK.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 206,906 Strauss Aug. 13, 1878 1 ,731,033 Whippy Oct. 8, 1929 1,961,048 Jacob May 29, 1934 1,962,314 Lytton June 12', 193* 2,567,732 Rosenthal Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country, Date 615,865 France Oct. 19, 1926 

